Student teams across the Great Lakes state competed to launch their research projects to the International Space Station, thanks to a partnership between Higher Orbits and the Michigan Aerospace Manufacturers Association (MAMA), but only one team could be dubbed the 2022 season winner – SPACE SHELL 6 of Sault Ste. Marie.
That is correct. Six dedicated Sault Area Public School students became known to NASA and much of the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) community as SPACE SHELL 6, following a special Higher Orbits Facebook video announcement that went live Monday, March 13.
Seventh-graders Siri Olson and Claire Parks, along with freshmen Cierra Aikens, Zahraa Mahmud, and Evelyn Weber eagerly waited for the judge’s selection at teammate Taylor Meilstrup’s family home.
“It was such an awesome experience watching these six young ladies learn that their project was chosen as the winner of the Higher Orbits MAMA series,” Mother Christy Meilstrup said. “They’ve been anticipating this moment for quite a while. When the announcement was made, there were screams, hugs, tears of joy… just an incredible moment to experience with them. I’m glad they chose our house to host the announcement party.”
The girls competed in a three-day event at Lake Superior State University (LSSU) last summer.
They even met a real NASA Astronaut, Don Thomas, who was able to inspire them through his own story of failure, perseverance, and triumph. Thomas was not selected for NASA employment right away. Finally, in January of 1990, he was hired to serve in the safety, operations development, and payload branches of the astronaut office.
“I learned that Thomas tried really hard to get into NASA, but got rejected three times,” Parks said. “Each time they told him he didn’t meet specific requirements. Eventually, they let him in. He was the first astronaut to bring pizza into space.”
While the girls love a cheesy pepperoni dish, pizza is not what they will launch into space. SPACE SHELL 6 will launch Bermuda grass.
The team used cellular respiration yeast (C.R.Y.) in the place of real animal cells to observe the growth of Bermuda grass seeds in a 8x4x4 inch box.
According to the team’s ‘Cells in Space’ report, Bermuda grass will be given 8.28 mL of water with a syringe through the soil for 3.5 days. Eight vials of water will be spread out around the pot with different amounts of yeast cells. A U.V light will mimic actual sunlight at 45 minute cycles.
“We hypothesize that if we measure the growth of cellular respiration yeast in space compared to one on Earth then the yeast in space will grow, but not as much as the one on Earth because of more radiation and less light. We will have different measurements of the C.R.Y cells in vials to examine if they cultivate and survive under the stress of radiation, zero gravity, and the light difference. A control will be on Earth to examine the growth under the different conditions. We will also measure the ratio of oxygen to growth of yeast to both the cells on Earth and in space. A possibility to consider is that much more vegetation is needed to support life in space than on Earth. Things that could go wrong include: if the U.V light malfunctions, if the dirt comes out of the pot, radiation from the ISS, and if the grass does not grow because of the lack of root space from the pot.”
The team also created mission patches during camp to represent the unity and determination, inspired from watching “Hidden Figures” during the Higher Orbits camp.
“Hidden Figures” highlights the careers of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) data processors Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson. The women were part of the segregated West Area Computers division that hired African American women during the space race era.
“It was about all of them working toward their goals,” Aikens said. “We designed our patch as a sea shell with the number “6” because there are six of us. The shell represents swimming.”
The mission patches will go to space with Bermuda grass seed and be returned back to them for memorable keepsake.
SPACE SHELL 6’s success would not have been possible without recent STEM pushes from Eastern Upper Peninsula Intermediate School District (EUPISD), Chippewa County Economic Development Corporation (CCEDC), and LSSU.
The Higher Orbits Go For Launch program promotes student involvement in STEM by sending its winning projects into the great beyond every year.
EUP STEM Regional Director Kevin St. Onge was proud of the team, recognizing that some might choose other careers and leave aerospace engineering behind all together.
"They can utilize the skills learned from this contest to go into any tech field,” Onge said. "It is an engaging program that gives students insight into an industry that is growing, one they probably don’t have a lot of experience with. From the standpoint of middle school and high school students who are interested, Higher Orbits is a phenomenal chance to do just that.”
Space related opportunities are already growing in the EUP.
CCEDC's Chippewa Homestead Antenna and Mission Program (CHAMP) was selected in 2021 by the MAMA to name Kincheloe of Chippewa County its state command center.
MAMA's Michigan Launch Initiative (MLI) is a collaboration of public and private partners working to make Michigan mid-America’s state for “premier commercial space ecosystem.”
According to MLI, the state is expected to see hundreds of new jobs in mechanics, engineering, science, and analytics to get satellites off the ground into higher orbits.
CCEDC President Chris Olson, father of SPACE SHELL 6's Siri Olson, hopes the Higher Orbits program grows to attract even more EUP students to the field.
“The whole goal is to get kids involved in STEM and space because when we have a command center here, we will need to employ people interested in space,” said Olson. “We want them to know they will have a career in Kincheloe. We could be working with a number of communication satellites.”
Soo Leader will be following SPACE SHELL 6’s Bermuda grass in its journey to space.
Watch the Higher Orbits announcement in Facebook, here.
